An Ivanka Jewelry Buy Becomes a Gift That Keeps on Giving for Anti-Trump Causes

In a move that will probably motivate Trump family members to task their personal assistants with online purchases until after the election, a Brooklyn-based boutique jeweler channeled a purchase by Ivanka Trump into donations for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and other causes that oppose Donald Trump’s politics.

According to the style blog The Cut, Jill Martinelli and Sabine Le Guyader, who launched Lady Grey Jewelry in 2009, received an order from Ivanka Trump for a pair of their helix ear cuffs. In an Instagram posting that was repeated on Facebook, Martinelli and Le Guyader announced the sale, and took a photograph of a handwritten note that said:

“Dear Ivanka – Thank you so much for your web order! We’re happy to let you know that the proceeds of your sale have been generously donated to the American Immigration Council, The Everytown For Gun Safety Organization, and the Hillary Clinton Campaign. We hope you enjoy your new Lady Grey #helixearcuff”

Martinelli and Le Guyader did not disclose how much each organization received, but the amount is hardly overwhelming. The ear cuffs, which are available as either gold- or silver-plated, retail for $84 on the boutique’s site.

Nevertheless, reactions from all fronts were fierce. Pro-Trump forces took the bait and savaged the designers to the point that Martinelli and Le Guyader briefly set the company’s Instagram to private; at press time, their Twitter account was still protected. Many of the comments on both Facebook and Instagram reflected what Trump opponents would say has been marred by the misogynist and racist tone of his campaign.

“Your business will official [sic] go bankrupt due to this post. You’re an idiot if you believe the liberals will keep you afloat at this classless act.”

“This company won’t be around much longer. F--- apple, who said we arent [sic] boycotting that either?”

“Start creating B L M [Black Lives Matter] jewelry … They will end up being your only customers.”

Indeed, some of the discussion (or outrage) on social media brought up fair points, including whether it was proper to go after a family member of a presidential candidate or to violate that same person’s privacy. Most of the comments, however, reflected the tone of a campaign that is now struggling due largely to those messages. The Trump campaign’s statistical tie or even slim lead in most opinion polls a month ago has collapsed into a 10-point deficit nationwide and by large margins within the vast majority of battleground states.

And Ivanka Trump is no Bush twin or Margaret Truman, examples of presidential progeny who eschewed the spotlight of politics. She has been described as the “de facto campaign manager” of Trump’s 14-month run for the presidency and is credited by many publications, including the New Yorker, of polishing Trump’s quest with a professional veneer. Ivanka’s fingerprints are all over many of her father’s policy positions, including his child care plan; when The Donald was asked if any women would be in his cabinet, he could only name his daughter; and even one U.S. senator suggested that her 35th birthday in October would come just in the nick of time to make her a strong vice presidential candidate.

Although Trump supporters have painted the Martinelli and Le Guyader partnership as the new bête noire showcasing everything that is wrong with America, this Brooklyn duo can look forward to a booming business once the dust from the trolling settles. During a 20-minute span yesterday, their Instagram account scored 800 more followers, the photo of their love letter to Ivanka generated an additional 2,100 comments and 3,400 likes and, now, “Lady Grey helix ear cuff” trends on Google. While many are aghast that Lady Grey has tainted its business with 50 shades of left-wing politics, the fact is that the big shots in the business and finance worlds, from George Soros to ExxonMobil, have long taken political stands making them heroes to some and heathens to others.

So, whether you call it shade or snark, this case of generating notoriety by flipping the bird at someone who leans more Democratic than Republican in her politics anyway is yet another chapter of this sordid campaign. Let’s face it: No matter where your politics may lie, this campaign is a gift that keeps on giving.

Leon Kaye, Executive Editor, has written for Triple Pundit since 2010. He is also the Director of Social Media and Engagement for 3BL Media, and the Editor in Chief of CR Magazine. His previous work can be found at The Guardian, Sustainable Brands and CleanTechnica. Kaye is based in Fresno, CA, from where he happily explores California’s stellar Central Coast and the national parks in the Sierra Nevadas.